Group Condemns Kano Governor Yusuf Over Detention Of Journalist

The Kano state authorities has been condemned for arbitrary arrest and unlawful detention of a journalist with Radio Nigeria, Pyramid FM Kano, Muktar Dahiru, for sharing media content material which is believed to be important of the state authorities officers which embrace Governor Abba Yusuf and Lamido Sanusi who was reinstated as Emir.

The journalist has been remanded in jail in Kano for sharing what the governor who’s of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) deemed offensive and focused at his particular person.

The Human Rights Writers Affiliation of Nigeria (HURIWA), making the condemnation on Sunday in an announcement by its Nationwide Coordinator Emmanuel Onwubiko stated the motion of the Kano State authorities is unconstitutional, arbitrary, despicable and completely unacceptable as a result of the journalist was effectively inside his constitutional mandate as a media practitioner and the conscience of the nation to share data which are verifiable and that represent efficient test and balances on the general public actions of elected and appointed public officers.

HURIWA quoted sections 22 and 39 of the structure to completely reject the resort to self assist by the officers of the Kano state authorities who’re behind the ordeals of the journalist.

It could be recalled that in a collection of posts, Dahiru shared a broadcast audio interview with an opposition politician who accused Governor Yusuf of corruption.

Within the audio, the opposition politician challenged the governor to provide federal anti-corruption businesses the free hand to probe the Novomed scandal as a substitute of the state anti-corruption company.

Novomed Pharmaceutical, which is owned by Musa Kwankwakso, a youthful brother of the previous governor, Rabiu Kwankwakso, is below investigation over a contract with the state authorities.

In one other video submit, Dahiru shared a radio programme by the governor’s political adviser, Anas Abba- Dala, who speculated that Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, shouldn’t be a Nigerian.

HURIWA recalled that the political adviser to the governor, Abba-Dala, complained towards Dahiru to the police that in a Fb submit, referred to as him an illiterate and that he tarnished his picture by stating he impregnated a lady out of wedlock.

In the meantime, the Justice of the Peace, Ummah Kurawa, ordered Dahiru to be remanded in a correctional facility till 3 September for a bail utility listening to.

HURIWA carpeted the federal government for performing in such a way that flagrantly violated the constitutionally protected elementary freedoms resembling freedoms of data and proper to freedom of motion.

The Rights group questioned how such a state administration fashioned by a minority political social gathering, the NNPP, which is in opposition to the behemoth controlling the central authorities which is the All Progressives Congress (APC) can be as energy drunk because the Nationwide ruling social gathering.

The Rights group urged the Kano state governor to order the quick launch of the unjustly detained radio journalist in Kano and be predisposed to accepting criticisms.

HURIWA cited Part 39 of the structure which ensures the appropriate to freedom of expression gives as follows:

Each particular person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, together with freedom to carry opinions and to obtain and affect concepts and data with out interference.
With out prejudice to the generality of Subsection (1) of this part, each particular person shall be entitled to personal, set up and function any medium for the dissemination of data, concepts and opinions, supplied that no particular person, aside from the federal government of the federation or a state, or every other particular person or physique authorised by the president on fulfilment of a situation laid down by an Act of Nationwide Meeting, shall personal, set up or function a tv or wi-fi broadcasting station for any function in anyway.

In addition to, HURIWA affirmed that Part 22 of the Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gives thus: “The press, radio, tv and different businesses of the mass media shall always be free to uphold the basic targets contained on this Chapter and uphold the accountability and accountability of the Authorities to the folks.”